I am once again, reminded of the quote from Parenthood, wherein Keanu Reeves (I believe it was) said (and I'm paraphrasing), "you need a license to drive, a license to fish, but they'll let any butt-reamin' asshole be a parent."

Some people have demonstrated, through their utter lack of anything resembling common sense and parental instinct, that they should not be parents. Those people ought to be sterilized so that no further children can spring from their loins.

TheGreatGazoo:They just had a couple here in Georgia go to prison for 15 years for locking the lady's oldest son up for years until he turned 18, then giving him a few hundred bucks and a bus ticket to LA.

zulius:Not discounting the tragedy, but at what point do you stop counting months and start calling them "years"? Is this a per family thing? Saying "22 months" instead of "nearly 2" or simply "2 years" seems a bit high to be referring to them as "X months."

WASHINGTON, DC-Taking measures to improve the safety and welfare of America's children, the FBI unveiled a sweeping new program Monday mandating comprehensive background checks for all U.S. child-care providers.

Child-havers will continue to go unscreened. The program, which bureau officials hope will reduce child abuse and neglect, does not affect the nation's approximately 150 million child-havers. Said FBI director Louis Freeh: "To those who would prey on our nation's innocent children, this sends a loud, clear message: Get your own kids." ...

Brenda Furness, an unemployed Macon, GA, mother of seven, was equally pleased. "They definitely oughta run checks to make sure all them people who work with kids are qualified," said Furness, serving her children their usual dinner of mayonnaise on crackers and Dr. Pepper. "Who knows what kind of unfit people are looking after our children? Billy Joe, quit playing with that saw and get your ass to the table this second 'fore I knock the rest of your teeth out!"

Under the new program, convicted sex offenders and violent criminals are no longer eligible to work at daycare facilities. Such individuals, however, will still be eligible to serve as parents.

Precision Boobery:Frozboz: And yet, my wife and I, both working professionals, have to have regular background checks and home visits to prove we are fit to adopt.

This. It's harder to buy sudafed than it is to create and presumably be responsible for one to ten+ lives. Just more evidence we live in a bizarro universe parallel to the happy, logical one.

Years ago, I went over to a co-worker's house to see if I could help him fix his car. I could tell this guy was a brain donor, but I was new on the job, and I thought I'd do him a favor. He had a pretty girlfriend, but it was a bad scene. At one point, I needed to ask him a question, and I couldn't find him. I walked into the house - no one around. I walked into a closed room, and there was his little boy (probably around two years old). It was just him and the pit bull. While the dog was really friendly, that doesn't matter; you never leave a little child alone with a dog, ever. He was a good little boy, and he stopped crying as soon as I picked him up. I finally found his parents, and handed him off to his mom.

They were constantly fighting, and they finally split up. Then they had a custody battle over the little boy that involved time off from work to go to court, borrowing money from relatives for a lawyer, etc. Some time after that was over, they got back together. I really felt sorry for that kid; nature or nurture, he really didn't have much of a chance.

8Fingers:Why are people that are pretty much by any measure that society uses. Irresponsibilty unable to function as normal members of life, so intent on reproducing?

Abstinence only education, politicians blocking education reform (educating women is the #1 way to prevent unwanted pregnancies), defunding educational programs such as Head Start, attacking groups that provide reproductive services (not just abortions) like Planned Parenthood thus placing a stigma on them, social leaders like pastors and civic leaders like politicians out-right saying birth control is wrong and a sin and not being vociferously challenged on it, etc. etc. etc.

The gist of my argument is any serious attempts to provide a positive change on this is being attacked and often end up watered down to the point where they're barely helpful if there at all. And this was in Tulsa, so keep in mind that all that fire towards women's reproductive rights is x100 where these people are at. Of course even if it all were different you'd still see this happen. We just might see less of it.

Some of that really isn't such a big deal or that unexpected if you've ever spent time around a toddler. The neighbors daughter used to climb into their dog crate and close the door when she was about 18 months old. Just sit in the middle of the thing giggling to herself. They had to either lock it closed or block it open to keep her from doing that. At almost 3 now, she likes taking off her cloths and running around naked because she's figured out that she can get funny reactions from everyone if she does that. She's a smart little AW that's figured out everyone's buttons to push to get the reactions she wants.

/also has a weird habit of stacking things or lining things up in as row//like 20 dvd cases stacked neatly in the middle of the living room, just sitting there, just because///that girl is gonna be trouble when she gets older... either a psycho or a cat hoarder

Sweet Jesus. I put my two kittens in a dog crate for about 15 minutes twice a day so I can feed my senior cat special kidney diet food and I feel bad when I hear them crying.

Sorry, but if you are going to get drunk and pass out, at least get some locks on the door that children can't reach to keep them safe. We found a dog wandering around once and found the home by knocking on doors. The owner said the 3 year old kid let the dog out and they must not have noticed. Uh, if your 3 year old is opening the door and letting your dog run out, what is stopping them from going out? This isn't out in the country, there is a busy street about 10 feet away.

zulius:Not discounting the tragedy, but at what point do you stop counting months and start calling them "years"? Is this a per family thing? Saying "22 months" instead of "nearly 2" or simply "2 years" seems a bit high to be referring to them as "X months."

In this case saying 22 months makes the child seem much younger than saying two years.

queezyweezel:FloydA: Diogenes: "This is something that could happen to any parent or any baby sitter," he argued.

Oh FFS. Well, I guess you can't blame him for trying.

Wait, no. I think you can. ARE YOU FARKING KIDDING ME?!?

No really, this could happen to anyone who had taken a bunch of Oxycontin, Flexeril, and Dilantin and washed them down with beer. I mean seriously, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, how could any reasonable person expect my client to take care of kids when he was that high? My client is the real victim here! The state is being completely unreasonable for expecting him to take care of young children in that condition!

If I ever need a lawyer, I'm calling you.

Only if the prosecutor is so stupid he/she fails to ask "Did the Oxy/Flexeril/Dilantin come with a warning not to take them with alcohol?" Because all of them do. And if your client can be shown to be so irresponsible as to ignore his doctor's instructions and take such powerful drugs with alcohol, counselor, how can the state in good conscience allow him to care for children? He's demonstrated his complete inability to behave in accordance with anyone's idea of responsibility!

zulius:Not discounting the tragedy, but at what point do you stop counting months and start calling them "years"? Is this a per family thing? Saying "22 months" instead of "nearly 2" or simply "2 years" seems a bit high to be referring to them as "X months."

It's a legal technicality. 22 months means more than likely you're going to jail (probably got X months for one charge and X months on another, and they're going to run consecutively). One year and 10 months means you're likely going to Big Boy Prison.

queezyweezel:FloydA: Diogenes: "This is something that could happen to any parent or any baby sitter," he argued.

Oh FFS. Well, I guess you can't blame him for trying.

Wait, no. I think you can. ARE YOU FARKING KIDDING ME?!?

No really, this could happen to anyone who had taken a bunch of Oxycontin, Flexeril, and Dilantin and washed them down with beer. I mean seriously, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, how could any reasonable person expect my client to take care of kids when he was that high? My client is the real victim here! The state is being completely unreasonable for expecting him to take care of young children in that condition!

Catsaregreen:zulius: Not discounting the tragedy, but at what point do you stop counting months and start calling them "years"? Is this a per family thing? Saying "22 months" instead of "nearly 2" or simply "2 years" seems a bit high to be referring to them as "X months."

It's a legal technicality. 22 months means more than likely you're going to jail (probably got X months for one charge and X months on another, and they're going to run consecutively). One year and 10 months means you're likely going to Big Boy Prison.

OK, I'm brain dead. I thought we were talking time in jail/prison, not the age of the child. It's only 9 p.m., but I obviously need to go to bed. Sigh.

zulius:Not discounting the tragedy, but at what point do you stop counting months and start calling them "years"? Is this a per family thing? Saying "22 months" instead of "nearly 2" or simply "2 years" seems a bit high to be referring to them as "X months."

I've found the break point is 2 of a major unit. For instance: baby is 10 days versus a weekweek and a half. Then 7 weeks until they are two months. They are 12 to 23 months, then two years. Don't know why this is, but it's what i naturally did as a father. Never expect to make the jump to decades, though.